Indexer and leaf protector



E. WV. W

INDEXER AND LEAF PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 29, 1955 WSTN ESSES Patented Apr. 28, 1936 narran sra'res PATEN" OFFIQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the provision of a combined indexer and leaf protector which may be used to indicate the location of a given page or leaf in a book and which will also serve to protect the leaf or page without obscuring any printed matter which may be. contained thereon.

Where the pages of a bock are subjected to considerable use they become soiled and even mutilated and damaged. This is especially true where the pages are made of a very thin paper such as Bible paper. Furthermore, the reader of they book quite often finds it necessary to write comments or inomoranda adjacent certain portions of the printed matter, which of course .defaces the book. At times, also, it is desirable to mark or index certain pages of the book and to apply index tabs to the edges of the pages, and this results in further damage to the book.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a device of the above character on which notations or memoranda may be entered without defacing the book, which will protect the page or leaf from mutilation even though it is in constant use, without obscuring any printed matter on the page, and which is held against accidental movement or displacement by an indexing t-ab which serves to indicate the location of the page.

For a full understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of an open book showing an indexing and protecting sheath embodying features of the present invention, and illustrated as being -applied to one of the pages of the book;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an indexing and protecting sheath embodying features of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 5 indicates a book which is illustrated -as being a. Bible, for the present invention has specific application to books in which the pages are made of a thin paper such as Bible paper. The numeral 6 indicates one page of the book, to which the indexing and protecting sheath indicated generally by the numeral l has been applied. The indexing and protecting sheath is formed of a transparent, flexible and relatively strong material such as cellulose films or sheets of glycerinated, regenerated cellulose. The transparent, flexible material should be relatively thin, that is, thin enough so as not to interfere with the turning of the pages of a book or to increase unduly the thickness of the book.

The sheath comprises two superimposed layers 8 and 9 of the transparent material, which are rectangular in shape, being preferably of sub- 5 st-antially the same size and shape of the page of the book which they are to encase. The two superimposed layers may be formed of one single sheet of material folded over, or they may be of separate sheets, but in either case, three of 10 the edges, as at I, ii and l2, are secured togather while the fourth edge, i3, is open, thereby forming a rectangular sheath having one side open so that the page of a book may be inserted therein. It has been found in practice that better results are obtained if the inner face of the material forming the sheath is not too slippery, and a regenerated cellulose film known by the trade name of moisture-proof cellophane operates very satisfactorily, although other similar types of transparent cellulose material having a thin layer of wax applied thereto may also be used.

In using the improved indexing and protecting member shown and described herein the sheath is placed over any desired page of a book, as shown in Figs. l and 2. When thus applied, the sheath should preferably extend from the binding of the book, over the loose edge of the page, and from a point just above the top of the page to a point just below the bottom of the page. As thus applied, it will be seen that the sheath will not obscure any of the printed matter contained on the page, but will protect it from being soiled or being mutilated. The sheath will also serve as a book mark to indicate a given page in the book. I prefer however, toy employ an additional indexing tab such as is indicated by the numeral I4, which serves not only to indicate a desired page but also to clamp the sheath in position and prevent it from being accidentally displaced from the page. The indexing tab I4 is preferably made of a spring metal strip which is bent so as to have an upper leg I5, a lower leg I6, and a clamping jaw II. The upper and lower legs I5 and I6 serve as operating handles and 45 when they are pressed together the clamping jaw Il will be opened. The indexing tab is clamped in position along one edge of the sheath-encased page, the clamp thereby serving not only to hold the index tab in position but also to cause the sheath to frictionally engage the page of the book. It is for this reason that the sheath is preferably made of a material whose inner surface is not too slippery.

It will be seen that the indexing and protecting sheath described and illustrated herein may be temporarily applied to any page of a book which is to be used on a particular occasion and it will serve to protect the page and also to indicate or mark the place in the book where the desired subject matter is contained, or if any particular pages in a book are subject to continued and repeated use then the indexing and protecting sheath may be left in position permanently on these pages. The user of the book may make any desired notes upon the sheath as indicated at I8, without defacing the bock, or, if desired, advertising matter or references may be printed on the sheath. The projecting end of the index tab is preferably provided with suitable indicia such as numerals or letters which may serve to indicate the different pages of the book.

I claim:

l. An indexing and protecting sheath for a page of a book comprising two layers rectangular in shape, oi relatively strong, flexible, transparent sheet material for covering the two faces of a page of a book, said lay rs being secured togetlier along three oi their edges and being open at the fourth edge to permit the insertion of a page of a book into the sheath, and a clamping member tor engaging said layers of material adjacent one of its closed edges and cooperable to cause said layers to engage a page inserted in the sheath.

2. An indexing and protecting sheath for a of a book comprising two layers rectangular in iape, of relatively strong, flexible, transparent sheet material for covering the two faces of a page of a book, said layers being secured together along three of their edges and being open at the fourth edge to permit the insertion of a page of a book into the sheath, and an indexing tab provided with clamping means for engaging said layers of material adjacent a closed edge so as to cause said layers to frictionally engagey a page inserted in the sheath, and with a portion projecting beyond one of the closed edges of the sheath.

3, In combination with a page of a book, an indexing and protecting sheath comprising two layers of relatively strong, flexible, transparent sheet material, one on either side of the page, said layers of material being secured together along one edge, and an indexing tab provided with clamping means secured to said two layers of material adjacent one edge of the page so as to cause said layers to frictionally engage said page.

4. In combination with a page of a book, an indexing and protecting sheath comprising two layers of relatively strong, flexible, transparent material ci' substantially the same size and shape the one layer being disposed on either eide of the page, said layers being secured together along the free, unbound edges of the page, and an indexing tab provided with a portion project' ig beyond the edge of the page, and with clamping means secured to said two layers Oi material adjacent an unbound edge of the page so as to cause said layers to frictionally engage said page.

EDGAR WHITMAN RICE. 

